The Disappearing Act: A Horror STori
by Areyl
Summary: Sequel to "Things I'll Never Say." Determined to prove she's not a coward, Tori plans a trip to Global Studios' annual Halloween Fright Nights with her friends. On the way there, Robbie's car breaks down and the gang is forced to spend the night at an eerie inn with its strange inhabitants. What will Tori do when she finds her friends disppearing one-by-one? Bori & Jole OC.
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from _Victorious_.

_Hey, guys! If this is your first time reading one of my fanfiction, just know that this story is a sequel to my first story **"Things I'll Never Say." **For my veteran readers, welcome! I'm super excited to write this piece for you guys so I hope you all enjoy it!_

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**Chapter One**

A bloodcurdling scream filled the room as Tori cowered behind the pillow, desperately hoping for the scene to pass. On the TV screen, a panicked woman ran as a dark, ominous shadow trailed behind her in hot pursuit. It was double-date night at the Vega residence. On one couch sat Tori and Beck, while Jade and Cole occupied the other. This was their second double-date night since Jade and Cole had become an official couple over a month ago. The transition and shifting of dynamics had been awkward at first, but Cole quickly won the trust of Jade's friends with his good sense of humor and easygoing personality.

Tori glanced around and noticed that she was the only one hiding behind the throw-pillow. Feeling her tremble in his arms, Beck tightened his embrace around his girlfriend and smiled.

"How are you holding up, Tor?" he asked with slight amusement in his voice.

"I'm fine!" Tori blurted, flinching as another scream pierced the air.

"Stop being such a baby, Vega," Jade sneered, throwing a handful of popcorn at her frightened friend.

"I'm not being a baby!" she protested, dropping the pillow to swat away the buttery projectiles.

All of a sudden, Tori caught a glimpse of a gruesomely disfigured apparition appear on the screen. She screamed in unison with the protagonist in the movie and hastily thrust her face into the pillow once more. Much to her relief, the closing theme song soon began to play and the credits rolled up on screen. Beck grabbed the remote and quickly switched the TV to cable mode, prompting Tori to come out of hiding.

Jade groaned. "I despise predictable endings."

"I'm sure you could've written it better, babe," Cole said teasingly as he bit off half of a black licorice stick.

She frowned disapprovingly at her boyfriend. "How could you eat those things?"

"What? Everyone likes black licorice."

"You're the only one I know who likes chewing on sugar-coated tires."

Just then, a promo commercial for Global Studios' annual Halloween Fright Nights came on. It portrayed a screaming crowd of people running out of an eerily daunting haunted house. Images of ghosts, goblins, monsters and demons flashed on the screen as Tori fought the urge to bury her face into Beck's shoulder. The commercial ended with a bloody display of the remaining dates for the terrifying event.

"Looks like next week is the last week for Halloween Fright Nights," Beck observed.

At that moment, the bright gleam of an idea flashed in Tori's eyes.

"Hey, why don't we all go next weekend?" she suggested with an optimistic smile. "It's only a four-hour trip from here. Plus, it's Halloween next Friday. It'll be the perfect time to go!"

The room was decisively silent as everyone shot Tori a questioning glance.

"Tori," Beck started, gently patting her knee. "Halloween Fright Night is like every horror movie come to life. No offense but you barely sat through this one without having a heart attack."

Tori rolled her eyes indignantly. "So I startle easily. That doesn't mean I can't survive one Halloween Fright Night."

"Have you ever been to one?" Cole asked.

"No."

"Then you won't survive," Jade bluntly stated.

Tori sighed in exasperation and shot up from her seat on the couch. Determined to convince her friends that she was not a coward, she pensively paced around the front of the room.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you guys were too scared to go to Halloween Fright Night," she said with a sly smile.

Jade snickered and crossed her arms. "You're kidding, right?"

"Then let's go!" Tori exclaimed imploringly. "Come on, it'll be fun! We can even ask Andre, Cat and Robbie to come. I know Andre's been wanting to go."

Jade and Cole exchanged uncertain glances, while Beck narrowed his eyes curiously at Tori and wondered what incited her sudden thrill-seeking initiative. But upon seeing the genuine enthusiasm in her soft brown eyes, Beck turned to Jade and Cole and nodded agreeably.

"I wouldn't mind taking a weekend road trip," he said with an affirmative smile. "Guys?"

For a moment, Jade looked at Beck as if trying to read his thoughts. Though they were no longer a couple, Beck and Jade managed to remain good friends after the initial unease of being exes had passed. In fact, they found themselves bickering less and agreeing more than they used to in their past relationship. After some time, Jade turned to Cole with a casual shrug.

"I'm in if you're in," she said, leaning into his embrace.

Cole smiled boyishly and said, "Yeah, I'm game."

"Yay!" Tori clapped her hands excitedly, and then ran over to Beck to give him a peck on the lips. "Then it's settled. I'll text the others tonight."

"Great," Jade said in a sarcastic tone. "We'll make sure to pack an extra set of diapers."

"Jade," warned Cole as they both got off the couch. "Play nice."

Tori crossed her arms defiantly and said, "It's okay, Cole. Just make sure you get the heavy duty kind that Jade likes."

Jade stared at Tori for a moment as if trying to find a smart comeback. At length, she simply shook her head in mild exasperation and made her way to the front door as Cole followed closely behind. Though Jade would never openly admit it, the rivalry she felt towards Tori had long subsided to a sense of respect. It would even be safe to say that she secretly considered Tori to be one of her closest friends.

Before stepping outside into the crisp autumn air, Cole waved goodbye to Tori and Beck. "Thanks for having us over."

"Anytime," Tori said as she leaned against the door and waved. "See you guys later."

As soon as they were gone, Tori joined Beck on the couch to watch a late-night sitcom, hoping that the slapstick humor could relieve some of the spine-chilling sensation that lingered from the movie.

* * *

Later that evening, Tori walked Beck out to his car as he was about to leave. They stood out in the driveway for some time, wrapped in each other's arms and kissing beneath the warm glow of the streetlamp nearby. Beck always enjoyed kissing Tori; but he especially enjoyed it when he could taste a hint of her vanilla-flavored lip gloss in his mouth. With great effort, he finally pulled away and gazed affectionately into Tori's eyes.

"So," Beck started, gently tucking a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. "Tell me why you _really _want to go to Halloween Fright Nights."

Tori shrunk under Beck's probing gaze. He knew that she hated horror movies, and that the only reason she agreed to watch the movie tonight was to make him happy. Her willingness to be a considerate and open-minded girlfriend was one of the things he adored about her. But too often did he find her making unnecessary sacrifices for his sake.

Tori let out a quiet sigh. "I just want to prove to everyone that I won't chicken out at the sight of someone in a monster costume."

"Tori, you know you don't have to prove anything to anyone. Besides, I think it's kind of cute that you get scared."

"But, see, I'll be so much cuter when I'm brave," Tori said with a playful smile.

Beck chuckled and held up his hands in surrender. "Alright. I guess I'll have an excuse to put my arms around you when we're walking through those haunted houses."

"Beck, you never need an excuse to put your arms around me."

And with that, she grabbed the collar of Beck's shirt and pulled him in for another steamy kiss.

* * *

_Mmm…steamy vanilla-flavored kisses. Beck is a lucky guy, lol. Please don't hesitate to review!_


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from _Victorious_.

_Thank you so much for all the positive feedback! I'm glad to see that you guys are as excited about this story as I am. Happy reading, everyone!_

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**Chapter Two**

The week passed with eager anticipation as Tori and her friends finalized the plans for their spine-tingling weekend trip. Before they knew it, Friday was upon them and the halls of Hollywood Arts buzzed with impish Halloween spirit. Tori glanced at the clock that hung in Sikowitz's classroom for what felt like the hundredth time in the last hour. On this particular day, decorative cobwebs and rubber bats hung from the ceiling, and a line of plastic pumpkins with varied expressions sat along the windowsill. The eccentric acting teacher had veered off course from his lecture a while ago, and Tori had grown increasingly antsy as she waited for the dismissal bell to ring. _Only one more class after this, _Tori thought to herself, trying to focus on the remainder of Sikowitz's lesson.

"And this class," said Sikowitz, setting down his chisel and hammer. "Is how you make a Jack-o'-nut!"

He swept out his arm in a grand gesture to reveal the grinning face of a carved out coconut. Then Sikowitz reached into his pocket to produce a box of matches, which he used to light the candle inside the coconut. The darkened hollow face of the tropical fruit soon flickered to life. The class was struck with a mixture of awe and confusion as they gazed at their teacher with doubtful expressions.

"What does any of this have to do with acting?" Andre spoke out.

"That's a great–" Sikowitz was suddenly interrupted by the dismissal bell. "Question that we will save for a rainy day. Happy Halloween, everyone! Be sure to grab some candy on your way out."

He gestured to the bowl by the door that contained a strange assortment of Halloween-themed treats and goodies.

"If you're lucky, you might even grab some of the retro candy from last year."

Robbie frowned. "Aren't you supposed to throw those away?"

"Candy has no expiration date, my curly-topped friend," Sikowitz replied with a dismissive grin.

"Hey guys," said Tori. "Don't forget, we're meeting up at the parking lot after our last class."

"And how are you all spending your Halloween tonight?" Sikowitz casually asked, scrutinizing his coconut creation.

"By watching Tori get the wazz scared out of her at Halloween Fright Night," Jade mockingly remarked.

"Really now?" Sikowitz arched his eyebrow curiously. "Did you know I used to have a side job as a scare actor in Halloween Fright Nights?"

Tori and her friends gathered around their teacher with sudden interest and muttered indistinct words of approval.

"See?" Tori said trying to sound convincing. "Underneath all those costumes and crazy make-up are just ordinary regular people like Sikowitz."

"Well of course." A mischievous smile spread over Sikowitz's lips. "But we had one heck of a time scaring the wazz out of people like you."

He gestured to Tori who frowned disapprovingly at his statement.

"The key is to look like you're ready to cry home to your mommy," added Sikowitz. "The less scared you look, the more they take it as a challenge."

"Well that should be no problem for you, Vega," Jade said with a derisive smile.

Tori just rolled her eyes as Beck put his arm around her in a reassuring embrace. At length, the gang said their goodbyes to Sikowitz and headed out of the room for their final classes, anxiously looking forward to the start of their thrilling weekend road trip.

* * *

It was four o'clock on the dot when everyone gathered together in the parking lot with all of their belongings in hand. The afternoon sun rose high above the clouds, and a cool breeze blew through the air. Tori watched while Beck and Andre packed their bags away in the back of Beck's car.

"How many sleeping bags do we have?" asked Beck, eyeing the bundles rolled up in the corner of the trunk.

"Three," answered Andre.

"Is that going to be enough?"

Andre shrugged. "Should be. Some of us can always share a bed."

Beck shot him a skeptical look. "You say that now."

Nearby, Robbie was huddled over the trunk of his own car, packing away Jade and Cat's belongings. He looked at Cat with a puzzled expression as he picked up her overstuffed pink tote bag.

"What's in here, Cat?" he asked.

"My stuffed animals," she said, twirling her finger around a lock of her velvety red hair.

"You _brought_ your stuffed animals with you?" Jade asked, slightly annoyed.

Cat's head cheerfully bounced up and down. "Yup! All twelve of them!"

"Hey guys," came a male voice.

Everyone turned to see Cole approaching them; he had a duffel bag slung over his shoulders and he carried a brown paper bag in his arm.

"I brought snacks." He greeted Jade with a kiss on her cheek, and then gestured to the bag in his hands. "I had my sister swing by The Black Dog Café and pick these up for us. Hope you guys like chocolate chip and blueberry muffins."

"Yay! I love muffins!" Cat squealed, jumping on her tiptoes to peek inside the bag.

"You need to stop spoiling her with all this sugar," Jade stated with the chastising tone of a mother.

Cole simply laughed and threw his bag into the trunk of Robbie's car. Meanwhile, Tori pulled out her pear phone and started up the navigation app she had used last night to find directions to the hotel near Global Studios where they had made their reservations. The GPS had presented her with two options. One route would put them on the main highway with an approximate travel time of four hours. The other route was shorter in travel time, but would put them on a remote, less familiar state road.

"So I think I found a way to get to the hotel that'll shave off at least half an hour of travel," she said to the group.

"Oh, what kind of razor are you using?" asked Cat.

Ignoring the redhead's peculiar comment, Beck looked over the map on Tori's phone and then handed it to Andre for a second opinion. They studied the directions for some time before reaching a consensus.

"Looks good to us," said Beck.

"Great!" exclaimed Robbie, jingling the car keys in his hands. "I've got my show tunes mix all ready to go the car. You guys are going to miss out on the Shapiro Fun Mobile."

Tori, Beck, and Andre exchanged uncertain glances as a distasteful scowl passed over Jade's face.

"Seriously, how did we get stuck in the Shapiro Chiz Mobile? Can we switch?"

Tori shrugged apologetically. "Sorry Jade. You already promised to play the license plate game with Cat."

"What? Since when?"

Cat's face lit up with glee. "Really Jade? I love the license plate game!"

"Just now," Tori said with a triumphant smile.

"Alright," Beck jumped in after checking the time on his watch. "We'd better get going if we wanna get there in time."

Jade narrowed her eyes at Tori but decided to bite her tongue, making a mental note to seek revenge later. Everyone quickly exchanged farewells and then separated into their respective cars. After seeing the high sign from Robbie indicating that his convoy was all buckled up and ready to go, Beck pulled out of the parking lot and turned into the main street with Robbie following closely behind.

_Tori Vega: En route to Halloween Fright Night! Let the scare fest commence! Feeling: spooked out._

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_Please share your thoughts and review!_


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from _Victorious_.

_Oh my gosh, it's been too long! Did you guys miss me? I'm so sorry for the extra long delay; I've been on vacation for the past week and I just couldn't find the time to update the story. But I'm back now with a new chapter for you all :-). Hope you guys enjoy it!_

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**Chapter Three**

They had traveled a good distance before the terrain outside changed from a traffic-filled cityscape to a remote two-lane road that cut through vast dunes of sand, patches of arid grass and green desert shrubbery. The sun hovered just above the gray-blue silhouette of the valleys in the distance. Tori smiled admiringly at the scenery around her as she listened to the music playing in the background. All the while, Andre lounged in the backseat and talked with Beck about the disastrous date he had had last weekend.

"My grandma always said 'Andre, crazy is as crazy does.' This was before she lost her mind of course."

Beck chuckled. "Have you talked to this girl since your date?"

"No," said Andre with a shake of his head. "I drew the line after she kept staring in her bag and talking to it."

"What was in it?"

"We'll never know."

A wide grin spread over Beck's lips as he glanced over as his perfectly normal girlfriend. Tori was skimming through the playlist on Andre's mp3 player in search of a new song to play. He reached over to grab her hand and gently laced their fingers together. Tori looked up and smiled sweetly at Beck.

"You're awfully quiet," he observed, arching an eyebrow at her.

"Just thinking," Tori casually replied.

"About tonight?"

"No." There was a moment's hesitation before she grudgingly said, "Yes."

"Don't psyche yourself out, Tori," reassured Andre. "They're just actors like we are."

"I know…" Tori said, though the sound of her voice seemed to betray her words.

Wanting to change the subject, she turned to Beck and Andre with a bright smile.

"Hey, let's play a game."

"Sure," said Beck, turning the volume down on the stereo.

"Okay, we're going on a camping trip and each of us can only bring _two_ things." She held up two fingers for emphasis. "What are you guys going to bring?"

"Two things, huh?" Andre said as he rested his chin on his hand, resembling a likeness to _The Thinker _statue.

"Can I bring a tent and a box of matches?" Beck asked.

"You can bring the _box _of matches, but you can't bring the tent," Tori replied. "See now, _I _can bring a tent and…a violin!"

Beck frowned thoughtfully. "What kind of camping trip are we going on?"

"Can I bring a sleeping bag and some bear repellent?" Andre asked.

Tori shook her head. "Nope. Beck can bring bear repellent though. And an orca."

Andre's brow knitted in confusion. "Why the heck would Beck need a killer whale to go camping?"

"Andre," Tori started, gesturing a finger at him. "You can bring arrows and a horse."

"Whaaa–"

"Again, what kind of camping trip is this?" Beck insisted with a perplexed tone in his voice.

Tori simply shrugged and leaned back in her seat.

With a playful smirk, she said, "Sorry boys, but that's the game."

* * *

Meanwhile, in Robbie's convoy, an uncomfortable silence stuck to the air like glue as Robbie miserably watched while Cat fiddled with the buttons on his car stereo. Earlier, Jade had taken the liberty to cease Robbie's maddening show tunes music by fiercely pressing the stereo buttons, trying to turn it off.

"I think it's broken," Cat said after a while.

"I _fixed _it," Jade bluntly stated.

Robbie gave a dejected sigh. "I'll ask Beck to look at it later."

In the backseat, Jade cuddled closer to Cole to resume their game of chess on his pear phone. It was his turn and with a single swipe, Cole claimed his first victory.

"Checkmate," he said with a triumphant smirk. "That's one to one. Another win and I get ten-minute make-out session in the haunted house of my choice tonight."

His breath was warm against Jade's neck as he whispered the words that made her skin tingle with excitement. The sensation was bittersweet. Though she found it thrilling whenever Cole whispered sweet nothings into her ear, Jade hated the way he could easily make her feel weak like putty in his hands. She turned to him and feigned a serious expression.

"Five minutes," she said, narrowing her eyes.

"Seven. That's my final offer."

"Hey guys, look!" squealed Cat before Jade could answer. "It's foggy outside! It's like we're driving through a cloud!"

"Uh…" Robbie said as he squinted at the smoke. "I don't think that's fog Cat…"

Cole and Jade sat up in alarm after taking notice of the white clouds of smoke rising from under the hood of the car.

"Robbie, you need to pull over now," Cole said as he started to unbuckle his seatbelt.

* * *

"I got it!" exclaimed Beck with a snap of his finger. "I can bring a buffalo and ointment!"

Tori clapped her hands excitedly. "Yay! You got it!"

Andre's gaze moved from Tori to Beck and back; he looked more confused than ever.

"Alright, I see how it is," Andre said in mock offense. "Leave me out of the loop, why don't you?"

Tori placed a hand reassuringly on his shoulder and smiled.

"Oh come on, Andre," she said. "You almost have it. Think about it. I can bring a _turtle _and a _vest, _and Beck can bring a _buffalo _and _ointment._"

"Okay…" Andre thought for a moment. "Can I bring a dog?"

Tori shook her head. "No."

"A limousine?"

"No."

"My keyboard?"

"No."

As he was thinking, an alarming site in the rearview mirror caught Andre's attention.

Unsure if what he was seeing was real, he uttered, "Smoke?"

Once again, Tori shook her head. "No, it's–"

"No, look," Andre hurriedly interrupted, pointing to the rearview mirror. "There's smoke coming out of Robbie's car!"

Beck's eyes quickly darted to the rearview mirror, while Tori turned around in her seat to see the startling scene out the back window. In a matter of seconds, Beck pulled the car over on the side of the road, and the three of them ran over to Robbie's car that had already stopped a few feet behind. The doors burst open as Robbie, Cat, Jade, and Cole rushed out of the vehicle.

"Are you guys okay?" Tori called, running over to Cat's side.

"Yeah," Robbie said in between coughs from the combination of smoke and desert debris. "I don't know what happened. The car was running fine before we left L.A."

Beck narrowed his eyes thoughtfully at the smoking engine.

"Looks like the radiator might have overheated," he said.

"Is there any way to fix it?" Tori asked.

"Not without the right tools. We need to take it to a shop."

"There hasn't been a town for miles," Robbie said as his shoulders slumped dismally.

"Good call on the short cut, Vega," Jade said scathingly as she sent Tori a pointed look.

Tori placed her hands on her hips in indignation. "How was I supposed to know Robbie's car was going to break down in the middle of nowhere?"

All of a sudden, a flurry of frustration and blame erupted like a volcano among the teenagers and panic slowly seeped into the dry desert air. Fingers were being pointed and angry words were tossed. After a while, Cole stepped in to break the commotion.

"Guys, guys!" he exclaimed. "I think we might have passed a gas station a couple of miles back."

The heated outburst slowly subsided and a pensive silence followed.

"Great," Beck said as an idea occurred to him. "So let's do this. Robbie and I will drive to the gas station and see if we can get some help. Cole and Andre, you stay here with the girls."

Though the tension had eased, everyone agreed to Beck's plan with slight apprehension. Heavy rainclouds had begun to gather in the distance and the sun was beginning to set. The last thing they all wanted was to be stranded out in the middle of the desert at night. Beck quickly kissed Tori on the lips before heading to his car with Robbie.

"Be careful," she said quietly.

"We won't be long," he said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

Tori and her friends watched as Beck's car sped down the road, leaving a trail of dust in its wake. As soon as the car disappeared into the horizon, Tori turned to look in the opposite direction, towards their destination. The dark, ominous rain clouds seemed to become larger and more daunting by the second and afternoon sun was already sinking below the valleys in the distance. The night was fast approaching and Tori could not shake the feeling of bad things to come.

* * *

_Hmm…can any of you guess the secret to Tori's game? Please review!_


	4. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from _Victorious_.

_I'm so sorry for keeping you guys on the edge of your seats. My life has just been so busy lately. But thank you for all the wonderful reviews! A lot of you were able to guess the game correctly. Good job!_

_So as a small token of my gratitude, I decided to give a fanfiction shout-out to **FurryFriends143**! She was the first one to make the right guess, and I just want to personally thank her for all her constant support and feedback. Please check out her story **Bori Love: A Victorious Story **when you can. It's a good story!_

_Alright, enough babbling from me. On to the new chapter! Enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter Four**

The soft shades of twilight filled the sky as a silvery half-moon shimmered above the valleys in the east. Unfortunately, the striking scenery was disrupted by the massive storm clouds that were drawing closer with each menacing flash of lightening. Tori glanced at her pear phone anxiously and stared hard at the one bar of signal she had left, which sporadically flickered on and off. Nearly half an hour had passed since Beck and Robbie left and she had no way of contacting them to make sure they were okay. It was nerve-wracking to say the least.

"Look, guys!" called Cat as her airy laughter echoed all around. "Tumbleweed!"

The others looked on with slightly confused expressions as Cat ran after the densely branched mass that rolled by; only Jade seemed unsurprised by Cat's strange antics.

"Wow," Cole said, arching an eyebrow at the redhead. "She really is like a pet."

"Told you," Jade agreed, following his gaze.

Suddenly, a loud honk sounded and everyone turned to see the bright glow of headlights coming down the road. Everyone jolted with relief upon recognizing Beck's car; behind it trailed a rusty green tow truck with a logo that read _Smiles for Miles _along the sides. In a matter of minutes, the two vehicles pulled over on the side of the road, with the tow truck parking right in front of Robbie's car.

"Are you guys okay?" Robbie asked as he and Beck approached the group.

"We tried calling you but there's barely any signal out here," Beck said as he placed his arm around Tori's waist.

"We're just glad you guys are back," Tori said, drawing closer to Beck to give him a brief side-hug.

Just then, the driver's door of the tow truck swung open and a stocky man stepped outside. He had a handlebar mustache and wore a soiled blue jumpsuit with a matching cap.

"Guys, this is Sonny Smiles," introduced Robbie. "He owns the gas station and auto-shop down the road."

Sonny's upturned lips and steely gaze seemed to contrast with his name like a pair of mismatched socks. For a brief moment, he scrutinized the group and then snorted gruffly before walking over to assess Robbie's car, leaving the others to watch him with wary glances.

"He seems…friendly…" Tori quietly muttered to Beck.

Beck gave a light chuckle, knowing that she was using the word "friendly" loosely.

"We got lucky. He was already closing up the shop for the night when Robbie and I got there."

The gang watched as Sonny began to fasten Robbie's car onto the hook of the tow truck. Meanwhile, Andre, Cole and Beck moved the bags from the Robbie's trunk into Beck's car. By the time everything was set, the sun had almost completely dipped below the horizon. Only a fiery orange strip of light was left as the sky overhead became a dome of darkness. Without the glow of city lights, the stars that shone were breathtakingly clear. The strong gust blew through the air however was a bleak reminder of the storm clouds that had stretched out like a menacing hand across the sky.

"Ya'll can come back tomorrow n' pick it up," Sonny said, still unsmiling.

While Robbie and Sonny began negotiating costs, Andre turned to his friends and frowned doubtfully.

"Are we still gonna make it to Halloween Fright Night tonight?"

"It'd be a tight fit but we could try," said Beck with slight hesitation. "How far are we from the hotel?"

"Another hour and a half, the last time I checked," Tori replied.

She checked her pair phone again only to see the signal bar erratically flicker on and off the screen.

"Not in this weather, it ain't," Sonny jumped in as he gestured to the storm clouds in the distance. "This road at night in that there storm ain't gonna make for smooth sailin'."

Everyone looked up at the clouds, and then to each other. With concerned glances all around, a tense silence overcame the group as each person tried to contrive an alternative plan.

"So…" Tori said after a while. "What should we do?"

* * *

Five miles and half an hour later, Tori and her friends found themselves parked in a gravel lot before a large, Victorian-style inn. The weathered, wooden sign hanging in the front lawn read _Fleming Inn_ in faded letters. The shrubs and bushes around the wide property, though tidy, were dull and lifeless even in the harsh beam of the car's headlights. The downpour had temporarily subsided to a light drizzle, but lightening continued to flash in the sky in irregular intervals.

"Are you sure this is it?" Tori asked, trying to hide the apprehension in her voice.

"These were the directions Sonny gave," Beck said, holding up the piece of paper in his hand.

"You're not _scared _of the little hotel, are you Vega?" Jade taunted.

As if on cue, a bolt of lightning pierced the night sky and a thunderous boom followed seconds after; the calm of the storm had passed and the next tumultuous assault was mere miles away. Everyone in the car gave a frightened jolt. Cat squealed and buried her face into Robbie's shoulder, which he would have relished if only his face wasn't buried in Andre's shoulder.

Annoyed by the extremely cramped surroundings, Jade squirmed around and reached over Cole to open the door.

"Okay," she said in an aggravated tone. "Can we just get–"

Suddenly there was a loud knock on the car door next to Tori and in the electrifying blue flash of the lightening a surly face appeared in the window. The gang screamed in cold terror as the car bounced from their panicked state. After Tori was able to catch her breath, she peered out the window again to see a tall, lanky man holding a large umbrella; his brow was wrinkled in confusion.

With a quick gulp, Tori lowered the glass halfway and gave a reluctant smile.

"H-hi Mister–" she stammered.

"Fleming," the man replied in a husky voice. He paused for a moment and examined the car full of teenagers, gazing back at him with skeptical expressions. "You kids plannin' to sleep out in this car tonight or what?"

* * *

In a matter of minutes, Tori and friends moved all of their bags and luggage into entrance hall of the antiquated inn with the help of Mr. Fleming and his large umbrella. The gang filed in, one-by-one, clothes dripping wet and shoes sloshing with water. Mr. Fleming had rushed ahead and disappeared down a dimly lit corridor into a room at the far end of the hall that appeared to be the kitchen.

The entire inn seemed to be lit by a mixture of candles and old brass light fixtures with milk glass filaments. Across the front door was a stairway with carved wooden banisters, and a wide archway on one side of the entrance hall opened into a dark empty living room. Against one wall was a side table with an open guest book. Cat had already grabbed the pen and was happily scribbling her name in the book, adding a little heart at the end for a delightful flair. Tori glanced in the book as Cat was doing this and noticed that the last signature dated back over two years ago. _That's not suspicious at all, _she thought to herself.

"This place is…_cozy,_" Robbie said, forcing the last word out in spite of himself.

"Uh…don't you mean _creepy_?" Andre said as he eyed the black-and-white family portraits on the wall.

It seemed like the only person who was enjoying the spooky atmosphere of the old inn was Jade. Not a big surprise to those who knew of her peculiar interest in all things strange and unusual. With her back to the corridor, she gazed up at the intricate iron chandelier that hung overhead in the entrance hall.

"Don't be such big babies," she said with a haughty smirk. "This place isn't cre–"

Before she could finish her sentence, Jade felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around and was confronted with the stern face of a woman with missing eyebrows. Jade yelped and jumped back at the unexpected sight.

"Don't judge me," the woman hissed, moving her sharp gaze from Jade to the others. Her voice was lightly accented, though no one could seem to discern what accent it was.

"Easy honey," Mr. Fleming said, coming up behind her. "These kids are needin' a place to stay tonight. Can't have you folks drivin' out in this here storm."

"Man, it's like no one around here knows how to smile," Cole said in a hushed tone as he stared at Mrs. Fleming's scowl.

"Jade, I think we found some of your long lost relatives," Tori quietly teased.

"You come just in time for dinner," Mrs. Fleming cut in before Jade could retort. "Come in to kitchen. I make good goulash."

"Don't you worry about your bags," reassured Mr. Fleming. "I'll have my son take 'em up to your rooms in a bit."

Mrs. Fleming led the pack down the faintly lit hallway towards the kitchen as Mr. Fleming took up the rear. Whatever second thoughts Tori and her friends had were quickly abandoned; it seemed like there was no turning back now, especially since the storm outside sounded like it was worsening by the minute. Before entering the kitchen, Mrs. Fleming turned to the uneasy group of teenagers and smiled eerily in the yellow glow of the wall sconces that lined the corridor.

"I almost forgot," she said in her raspy, accented voice. "Welcome to Fleming Inn."

* * *

_Hope you guys liked it. Please review!_


	5. Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from _Victorious_.

_I know it's been a while…if only I could get paid for writing this lol._

* * *

**Chapter Five**

Like much of the hotel, the dining room was also decorated in antiquated Victorian-style furniture. Olive green wallpaper with floral designs spanned the walls of the room, and a chandelier with a gold finish hung in the center of the ceiling, right above the long oak dining table fit for twelve people. An unlit fireplace stood against one wall and an array of decorative jars lined the mantle above it. On an adjacent corner of the room was large dusty china cabinet and wine rack. Paintings and portraits of unknown individuals decorated the room; their leery eyes seemed to watch Tori and her friends from their shadowed posts.

Mrs. Fleming was scurrying around the table, putting down plates and silverware for dinner. As soon as it was prepared, Mr. and Mrs. Fleming eagerly urged the gang to take a seat. As Robbie was pulling out his chair, he peered down and spotted a pair of gray eyes looking up at him from under the table. He shrieked and stumbled backwards into Andre.

"What the–" Andre started and then stopped when he saw what had startled his friend.

Speechless from shock, Robbie and Andre watched as a little girl in pigtails and shiny-rimmed glasses crawled out from under the table with a book in hand.

"Maggie," barked Mr. Fleming. "What did I tell you 'bout scarin' our guests?"

The little girl gave a small pout and narrowed her eyes at Robbie and Andre before exiting the room through the kitchen.

"Sorry 'bout that," Mr. Fleming said as he took a seat at the head of the table. "She likes hangin' 'round small dark places."

"Don't you ever worry about her getting lost?" asked Tori.

"It happens at least once a year," Mr. Fleming casually replied.

He then gestured to the bird-shaped pendant that hung on a silver chain around Tori's neck that Beck had given her for her birthday.

"She also likes collectin' shiny things so I'd keep a sharp eye on that purdy necklace of yours."

"Oh," Tori said with raised eyebrows. "What a lovely hobby…"

The dinner Mrs. Fleming had prepared was like nothing Tori and her friends had ever seen or tasted. The goulash was a concoction of undistinguishable ingredients that bubbled and steamed in the bowl in an unsavory form. The dinner rolls were has hard as rocks and the meatloaf oozed an unappetizing sauce when cut with a knife. Nevertheless, out of politeness and slight fear, the gang did their best to force each bite down their throats with marked effort.

"So why you kids out here anyway?" Mrs. Fleming asked as she wagged her fork at them.

"We were on our way to Global Studios for Halloween Fright Night when our car broke down," Tori replied.

"Well you kids came to the right place," said Mr. Fleming. "Since they built that freeway back in '79, this place ain't as busy as it used to be."

"How long have you owned this inn anyway?" Cole asked as he forced down another mouthful of food with one big gulp.

"Been in my family for three generations now," Mr. Fleming proudly said. "Used to be a boomin' hot spot back in the day."

"What happened?" asked Cole.

"Let's just say that times have changed."

Just then, a young man around their age entered the room. He had a strapping body from several years of physical yard work and a well-defined jaw line framed his handsome face. Upon seeing guests at the table, he politely tipped his hat and gave a charming smile that visibly caught the girls' attention. Even Jade sat up a little straighter in her seat. Beck and Cole saw this and arched their eyebrows doubtfully at the young man.

"Sorry, I'm late Mama," he said with a slight accent that matched his father's. "I was just fixin' somethin' in the shed."

In the split second that Mr. Fleming and his son made eye contact, Tori thought she saw the exchange of a furtive glance between them. But the thought left as quickly as it came as Tori decided that the goulash was starting to muddle her perceptions.

"Hey, I'm Andy," said the young man as he settled into the vacant chair next to Cat. "You folks from the city?"

"Yeah, we're from Hollywood," Tori replied.

"Figures. Don't see very many pretty city girls like you ladies 'round these parts."

Andy winked at Cat, who shyly glanced away and giggled in typical Cat fashion. Just then, it occurred to Tori that she hadn't called her parents since they left the city. She pulled out her phone and then frowned upon seeing one bar of signal flash on and off on the screen.

"Is there any place around the house I can get better signal?" Tori asked, holding up her phone.

In an instant, Mrs. Fleming's chair scraped loudly against the wooden floor as she shot out of her chair and backed away from the table, eyes wide with horror. It was almost like she had seen a ghost. The blood had drained from her face and her hands trembled uncontrollably.

"K-keep that away from me," she stammered as she inched her way towards the kitchen.

Startled by the older woman's strange reaction, Tori promptly put her phone back in her pocket and then turned to Mr. Fleming and Andy with questioning eyes. Mr. Fleming, however, simply cleared his throat and excused himself from the table to attend to his wife. In an attempt to diffuse the perplexed tension in the room, Andy got up and started collecting the plates on the table.

"What was _that_ about?" Jade asked.

"Long story. Mama's not exactly a big fan of modern technology," Andy replied with an apologetic smile. "Anyway, who's up for desert?"

A muffled wave of refusals sounded throughout the room as Tori and her friends tried to turn down Andy's offer in as polite a manner as possible. After all they didn't want to take their chances with desert if dinner was any indication of Mrs. Fleming's culinary repertoire. But there was always one person in the group who couldn't ignore her sweet-tooth cravings.

"Oh, I'll take two cookies please!" Cat exclaimed, raising her hand up in an excited manner. "Maybe three so I can save one for later."

Andy's brow knitted in confusion. "I think Mama made her special cream loaf tonight."

Cat blinked innocently and pointed to the line of jars on the mantle. "Then what's in all those cookie jars?"

"Oh, those ain't not cookie jars. Those are urns."

Everyone in the group faltered as they cast baffled gazes on the decorative jars.

"Urns?" Robbie asked with slight hesitation. "You mean the kind of urns that hold–"

"Ashes of my mom's dead relatives, yes," Andy said in a straightforward manner.

"Really?" Tori blurted in horrified disbelief.

"Really?" echoed Jade with marked fascination.

"Aww," whined Cat. "So no cookies?"

"Yeah, those urns are all over the house," Andy continued, seemingly unfazed by his guests' dumbfounded expressions.

Suddenly sensing the silent unease that had crept into the room, he hastily added, "But don't worry. They're not in any of the guest rooms."

Everyone leaned back in their chairs with almost imperceptible sighs of relief. Everyone except Jade of course who would have gladly welcomed an urn filled with ashes on her nightstand. After a while Mr. Fleming rejoined the group and reassured everyone that his wife would be okay. Tori however wasn't convinced. _Something doesn't seem right and it's definitely not just the goulash, _she thought to herself.

"So," Mr. Fleming said with a resolute clap of his hands. "How 'bout we show you kids your rooms?"

* * *

After Tori and her friends agreed on getting two rooms for the night, the gang was led upstairs to the west wing of the house, where the guest rooms were located. Down a dimly lit corridor were six doors; there was a bathroom at each end of the hall and four bedrooms nestled between them. The pitter-patter of heavy rain hit against the arched window at the very end of the hallway. They followed a long ornate rug that ran along the wooden floorboards until Mr. Fleming stopped in front of two bedroom doors across from each other.

"Here we are," he said as he unlocked the two doors.

Before Mr. Fleming could give them a quick tour of their rooms, Mrs. Fleming beckoned from downstairs, asking for his help in the kitchen. With a hasty apology, he cut past the gang and his son, turned a corner and disappeared. His footsteps echoed down the staircase as girls started piling into one room and the boys in the other. Tori's hands were full with a sleeping bag and tote bag and she barely noticed her duffel bag slipping off of her shoulder.

"Careful now," Andy said as he reached out to grab the strap.

Beck however was quick to intercept the slipping bag. He adjusted the strap and let his hands linger almost possessively on Tori's shoulders as he turned to Andy with an unwavering gaze.

"I got it," Beck said with a tight-lipped smirk.

Andy noted the spark of challenge in Beck's eyes and smirked back, slightly amused.

Raising his hands in defense, Andy said, "Hey, don't mind me. Just tryin' to help out."

Beck wasn't typically the jealous type; so when Tori witnessed the whole scene play out before her, she couldn't help but smile inwardly at her boyfriend's well-intended sentiment. She playfully nudged Beck as if to say "relax" before smiling apologetically at Andy.

"Thanks for your help, Andy. I think we can handle it from here."

Andy nodded. "Of course. If ya'll need anything else, don't hesitate to holler."

He tipped his hat in a polite goodbye before disappearing down the hall. Once he was out of earshot, Tori set her things down by the doorway before flashing Beck a teasing smile.

"Since when does Beck Oliver get jealous?"

"Who said I'm jealous," Beck replied in a tone of denial.

"You're right," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "His cool hat has nothing over your even cooler hair."

"That's what I thought."

They both laughed lightly and then leaned in for a kiss. Tori rose up on her tiptoes as Beck wrapped his arms around her waist and deepened the kiss. For the moment, the world around them seemed to melt away. Soon enough, a voice came and broke them from their fervent bliss.

"It's not too late to get a third room."

Tori and Beck looked over to see Cole leaning on the doorway of the boys' room. He smiled slyly at the blushing couple before striding over to the nearest bathroom. As soon as the bathroom door clicked shut, Beck turned to Tori and placed a lingering kiss on her forehead.

"I'll see you in the morning," he whispered. "Sweet dreams, Tor."

"Goodnight Beck," Tori said with a timid smile, still breathless from their passionate embrace.

* * *

While Cole was finishing up in the bathroom and wiping his hands dry, he looked around and noticed that the fixtures – like most of the house – were very much antiquated. On one end of the room was a clawfoot bathtub and on the other end was a pedestal sink with bronze levers that creaked harshly when turned. The last time Cole had seen these kinds of antiques was when he had scoured a junkyard with a fellow artist from the studio for a sculpture project. In fact, Cole was starting to realize that there was very little trace of anything modern in the eerily quaint hotel. He hadn't seen a single TV set or computer in any of the rooms he had been in, and the only kind of phone that the Flemings seemed to own was old rotary-dial phone that sat atop a side table in the living room. And then there was Mrs. Fleming's bizarre reaction to Tori's pear phone earlier…

"Weird," Cole muttered to himself as he opened the door to leave the bathroom.

Before he could put the thought out of his mind, Cole heard the quiet echo of a male voice coming from the end of the hall. Following the sound, he peered past a corner and spotted Andy. To Cole's surprise, Andy was leaning over the stair railing talking on a pear phone!

"Huh, what do you know?" Cole said with slight amusement. "Signal up here must be better."

But before Cole retreated back to his room, he couldn't help but overhear Andy's conversation.

"Yeah, tonight," said Andy in a hushed tone. "Don't worry. We got 'em right where we want 'em. They won't even see it comin'."

Just as Cole tried to lean in closer to catch more of the conversation, a voice suddenly called from behind him. Caught off guard, Cole jumped and turned to see Andre sticking his head out from the boys' room.

"Hey, Cole," Andre called. "We're playing rock-paper-scissors to see who's sharing the bed with Robbie tonight."

Before answering Andre, Cole looked back to see an empty hallway. He quickly glanced around and couldn't find any sign of Andy. With a slight huff of defeat, Cole made his way back to the bedroom, deciding that his mind was just playing tricks on him after an exhausting day of travel.

* * *

_I'm sorry this took so long, guys. I've just gotten so busy in the past month. Anyway, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. The suspense keeps on building! Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks a million!_


	6. Chapter Six

Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from _Victorious_.

_Enjoy the new chapter, everyone! Happy reading!_

* * *

**Chapter Six**

By the time Tori had finished her shower, the thunderstorm had grown fiercer. The winds outside howled, making the small window in the bathroom rattle violently, and the lights in the bathroom flickered on and off in sporadic bursts. Needless to say it scared Tori enough to rush through her shower and retreat hastily back into her room, where she found Jade and Cat lounging next to each other on the bed. Jade was reading a book while eyeing Cat with an aggravated scowl as the redhead arranged all of her twelve stuffed animals on the bed. With a defeated sigh, Cat glanced over the line of stuffed animals thoughtfully.

"Sorry, guys," she said in an apologetic tone. "Jade said I could only keep three of you in the bed with me tonight…"

"Wait, when did we decide who gets to sleep in the bed?" Tori asked as combed her hands through her wet hair.

"While you were taking a shower," Jade replied, her eyes never leaving the page.

"And how exactly did you decide this?"

Jade let out an exasperated sigh and put down her book.

"Well, Vega, it's simple. The bed's obviously not that big, so we figured the two smallest people should get it. And judging by the size of your granny panties–"

"I only wear them to bed 'cause they're comfortable!" Tori exclaimed as her face flushed red with embarrassment.

At length, a frustrated Cat turned to Jade and pouted.

"Jade, can I please–"

"No."

"But they're gonna be so sad if–"

"We agreed on _three_. And even _that's _pushing it."

Tori rolled her eyes at the two girls as they continued their petty squabble. After combing out the tangles in her hair, Tori laid out the sleeping bag by the foot of the bed and climbed in. _This is going to be a long night, _she thought as she listened to the roar of the rain outside and her friends' incessant bickering.

* * *

The sleeping arrangement in the boys' room, it seemed, was no better than the one in the girls' room. For Andre at least. After a few brisk rounds of rock-paper-scissors, Andre – much to his chagrin – justly won the extra space in the bed next to Robbie, while Beck and Cole roughed it out on the hardwood floor in their sleeping bags.

"I should warn you," Robbie said as he fluffed his pillows. "I have a tendency to kick in my sleep. I had a bad case of night terrors when I was a kid."

With a slight groan, Andre turned over on his side away from Robbie and threw the covers over his head while, down below, Beck and Cole simply exchanged glances and laughed. Robbie gave his pillow one final pat for good measure and then reached over to turn off the lamp on the nightstand.

Robbie sighed. "I hope my car gets fixed tomorrow."

"I just wanna get out of here," Andre said, peeking out from under the covers. "I feel like we drove straight into the Twilight Zone."

"Yeah, I'll admit, this place kind of gives me the creeps," Cole added as he recalled the strange conversation he overheard in the hallway.

Beck stretched his arms over his head and let out a long yawn.

"Don't worry, guys," he said. "We'll be out of here first thing tomorrow morning. Besides, if we can't survive one night in this inn, how are we going to get through all the haunted houses tomorrow night?"

Beck had a point. The Fleming Inn and its unusual inhabitants were nothing compared to the fright fest they were going to endure the following night. As the boys began to relax, their eyes grew heavy with sleep. In a matter of minutes, the only sound that could be heard in the room was the rain pattering against the window and a quiet orchestra of snores. The peace, however, was short-lived.

Not even an hour later, a loud _THUD _resonated in the room. Startled by the noise, Robbie's eyes snapped open. He reached for his glasses on the nightstand and sat up in bed to peer around the darkened room. _THUD! _Robbie jumped and pulled the covers over his head. Sensing the movement next to him, Andre stirred and tugged at the covers.

"Andre, are you awake?" whispered Robbie.

"I am now," Andre grudgingly replied.

"I thought I heard something…"

With a huff of annoyance, Andre said, "It's probably just the rain. Go back to sleep."

"It sounded like it came from downstairs though."

Soon, all the commotion roused Beck and Cole from their sleep. With his hair tousled in all directions, Beck sat up in his sleeping bag and looked over at Robbie, who was cowering under the covers.

"What's going on over there?" he asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Robbie _thought _he heard a noise," Andre replied.

Robbie popped his head out from under the sheet and insisted, "I _did _hear a noise."

Cole sighed. "Guys, it's almost eleven-thirty. Let's just try to get some–"

Suddenly the sound of shattering glass echoed through the walls of the dark room. This time, Robbie wasn't alone; all the boys had heard it. They were sitting up now, awake and alert, and looking around the room with heightened suspicion.

"What was that?" Andre asked, trying to mask the fear in his voice.

"I don't know but I don't think I wanna find out!" Robbie exclaimed, throwing himself under the covers once again.

"Alright, let's just calm down," Beck suggested. "It's an old house. That noise could've been anything."

Yet again, Cole's mind flashed back to Andy's strange phone conversation. Trying not to let his paranoia get the best of him, Cole got out of his sleeping bag and headed out the door.

"I'm going to go check on the girls and make sure they're okay."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the girls' room, the loud shattering noise had woken up Tori. She shot out of her sleeping bag, panicked by the unexpected sound. Shadows seemed to morph into eerie shapes around the darkened room as Tori felt a foreboding chill run down her spine. She looked over to the bed where Jade was sound asleep, and then craned her neck higher to check on Cat. _Wait a second, _Tori thought, unsure if her mind was playing tricks on her.

The space beside Jade was empty, unoccupied. Tori got up and walked around the bed. Then she got down on her knees and checked under the bed. Cat was nowhere to be seen. With a nagging doubt, Tori immediately climbed on top of the bed and shook her friend awake.

"Jade! Jade, wake up!"

"Please tell me this is a bad dream," Jade grumbled as she threw the pillow over her face.

Just then, there was a sharp knock at the door, which made Tori scream and Jade groan in frustration.

"Are you girls okay?" Cole asked as he cautiously entered the room.

Without a moment's hesitation, Tori cried, "Cat's missing!"

"She probably just went to take a wazz," Jade chimed in, silently cursing the unwelcomed disturbance.

"No, both bathrooms look empty," Cole said after looking out in the hallway.

"Is everything okay?" Beck asked as he, Robbie and Andre joined the others in the girls' room.

As soon as Beck spotted Tori's worried expression, he took a seat beside her on the bed and wrapped his arm around her for comfort.

"We don't know where Cat is," she explained.

By now, a very annoyed Jade was sitting up in bed and looking daggers at her friends. The rain had temporarily subsided to a steady drizzle and moonlight was able to break through the clouds and shine through the window, making Jade's porcelain skin look almost ghostly and iridescent.

"Did you guys try calling her on her phone?" asked Jade as she tried to control her temper.

"It's no use," replied Robbie. "The signal's still bad and I think that's her phone on the nightstand."

_THUD! _

"There it is again!" Robbie exclaimed, feeling his knees buckle in fright.

Tori and her friends froze as they tried to identify the mysterious sound. When it seemed like the mysterious noise wasn't going to return, Tori stood up from the bed with fixed determination.

"Okay, guys," she proposed. "I've had a weird feeling about this place since we got here and now Cat's missing. We can't just sit around and assume she's okay!"

Beck nodded his head in agreement. "Tori's right. We should all split up and try to find Cat."

With some apprehension, everyone agreed to the plan. As they were lining out of the room, Robbie turned to Cole with a grave expression.

"What about the noise we heard?" he said. "We still haven't figured out what it is yet."

"Well," Cole said as he patted Robbie's shoulder in a less-than-comforting manner. "There's only one way to find out, isn't there?"

* * *

_Hopefully you guys aren't too creeped out to leave a review! Thank you!_


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